Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern

Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (How beautifully shines the morning star), BWV 1, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the chorale cantata in Leipzig for the feast of the Annunciation and first performed it on 25 March 1725. Bach wrote the chorale cantata in his second annual cycle for the feast of the Annunciation on 25 March. This feast was celebrated with music even in Leipzig, although it typically falls in the time of... More

Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (How beautifully shines the morning star), BWV 1, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the chorale cantata in Leipzig for the feast of the Annunciation and first performed it on 25 March 1725. Bach wrote the chorale cantata in his second annual cycle for the feast of the Annunciation on 25 March. This feast was celebrated with music even in Leipzig, although it typically falls in the time of Lent when Leipzig observed tempus clausum. Bach first performed it on 25 March 1725, which in that year was also Palm Sunday. The cantata is based on the chorale Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (1599) of Philipp Nicolai, which was associated with Epiphany but also with the Annunciation. The cantata was the last chorale cantata in Bach's second annual cycle, begun the first Sunday after Trinity 1724. The prescribed readings for the day are Isaiah's prophecy of the birth of the Messiah (Isaiah 7:10–16) and from the Gospel of Luke, the angel...

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